Jussie Smollett’s Hate Crime Conviction Overturned by Illinois Supreme Court
Jussie Smollett, the American actor known for his role in the TV series Empire, had his conviction for staging a hate crime overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday. The 42-year-old actor had originally been convicted for fabricating a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago in 2019. The court ruled that Smollett should not have been charged again after a previous agreement led to the dismissal of more than a dozen original charges.
Smollett’s legal battle started in January 2019 when he claimed he was attacked by two masked men on a Chicago street. According to Smollett, the men yelled slurs, placed a noose around his neck, and attacked him in what he described as a racist and homophobic assault. His story led to a major police investigation and widespread public support for the actor, who was a prominent figure at the time on Empire. However, further investigations into CCTV footage and phone data revealed inconsistencies in Smollett’s story, which led police to believe he had orchestrated the attack.
Prosecutors then charged him with 16 felonies, accusing him of paying two Nigerian brothers, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, $3,500 to stage the attack while using former president Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan as part of the hoax. Smollett had claimed that he staged the attack after receiving a piece of hate mail that he felt his employers had not taken seriously enough. Despite this, the charges against Smollett were dropped in March 2019 in a controversial decision that saw him forfeit his $10,000 bond and agree to community service.
The dismissal of charges caused public outcry, with figures like former mayor Rahm Emanuel criticizing the handling of the case. In 2020, a special prosecutor took over the case, and additional charges were filed against Smollett. The actor was convicted in December 2021, found guilty of falsely reporting a hate crime. He was sentenced to 150 days in prison, followed by 30 months of probation, and ordered to repay $120,106 to the Chicago Police to cover the investigation costs.
Smollett’s conviction has been a source of division across the United States, with some viewing it as an attempt to further fuel racial and sexual discrimination. Supporters of Smollett argue that he has always maintained his innocence. In its ruling, the Illinois Supreme Court agreed, stating that bringing charges a second time after Smollett had already agreed to a previous settlement violated his due process rights. As a result, the court overturned the conviction.
